After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,
The table was a mess; all twelve dishes had been cleared out by these animals, even the rice bucket was empty. They were all slumped comfortably in their chairs, patting their bellies, their faces full of contentment and comfort.
"belch!"
Feng Jie let out a burp and exclaimed with admiration, "I haven't had such a good appetite since I got old."
While picking his teeth, Yang Duanhe said, "You old man, you're really fast. Even we martial arts generals who have practiced hard can't beat you."
"This is an insult to civility!"
Feng Jie wasn't angry, but he glanced at Yang Duanhe, who had eaten most of the food earlier.
Huan Yi sneered, "Two gluttons, aren't they afraid of bursting their bellies?"
"What's wrong? Are you too old to hold chopsticks and you're blaming us for eating too fast?" Unexpectedly, the two who were just arguing suddenly turned their guns on Huan Yi.
"Hahaha!" A burst of laughter came from the side. It was the wicked husband sitting in the main seat. He raised his glass and said, "I hope everyone enjoyed today's banquet. How about we have another drink?"
Everyone responded enthusiastically, raising their glasses and drinking them down in one gulp. As the alcohol took effect, the atmosphere became even more lively.
“Speaking of which…” The wicked man put down his wine glass, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, “We’re all old acquaintances, it’s really not easy for us to get together today, come on, let’s have another drink.”
Everyone raised their glasses again, and the clinking of the glasses produced a crisp sound.
Just then, Zhang Erhe's voice came from outside the door, "Grand Commandant, the King is very satisfied with the food you sent and has ordered me to convey a message to you..."
"Drink less alcohol, don't harm your health, and more importantly, don't delay important matters!"
The voices reached the hall, and everyone smiled knowingly, thinking to themselves that the emperor and his minister truly cared for each other.
“Since Your Majesty has spoken, then we shall not drink!” The wicked man stood up and said with a smile, “Gentlemen, please come with me to the study for a chat.”
Everyone got up and followed, strolling casually to the study, where maids immediately brought fruit, warm water, and other items.
"Erhe, no one is allowed to make a sound or disturb us," the wicked man ordered immediately after taking his seat.
"yes!"
Zhang Erhe turned and left, closing the door behind him.
The wicked man put away his smile and said seriously, "This time, we must not only reform the soldiers' treatment, but also adjust the salaries of officials at all levels, so that officials can have no worries about the future and devote all their efforts to good governance and be good officials."
Corruption and bribery can never be eradicated. As the saying goes, "human greed is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant," and there is no one in the world who can sever all emotions and desires.
Even if they do, they will always have relatives and friends. In China, a society that values human relationships since ancient times, no one can be completely heartless.
When corrosion occurs, there must be sufficient strength to resist it, and at the very least, it cannot be easily shaken!
The wicked man was well aware of this, so he proposed reforms aimed at fundamentally reducing the corrupt motives of officials due to the pressures of life.
"I plan to start by raising salaries so that officials can live a decent life. At the same time, I will strictly supervise them and use iron-fisted methods so that they will think twice before bending the law for personal gain," the wicked man continued, his voice revealing firmness and determination.
Everyone present turned their attention to Feng Jie, as this was arguably his area of expertise.
Feng Jie, who was deep in thought, nodded slightly in agreement. He noted that favoritism, corruption, and bribery occur frequently for various reasons, making it difficult to completely eradicate them.
The fact that the wicked man raised this issue is indeed worth investigating. Only by ensuring that officials have no worries about the future can they better serve the country and the people.
Besides, they are also officials, so why wouldn't they be happy to have better treatment?
"I wonder how Grand Commandant intends to make the adjustments?" Feng Jie asked.
The wicked man stroked his chin and said in a deep voice, "I plan to divide the salary into two parts: a basic salary and a performance bonus. The basic salary will guarantee the basic living needs of the officials, while the performance bonus will be distributed based on the officials' performance and the people's evaluation."
"Basic salaries will be increased by 10%!"
"In this way, we can both guarantee the basic living standards of officials and motivate them to work diligently for the people and improve their work efficiency."
"In addition, I will establish an oversight body specifically responsible for monitoring the conduct of officials and ensuring that they do not abuse their power. For those officials who are corrupt, once verified, they will be severely punished without exception."
At this point, the wicked man looked at Feng Jie and said, "I have decided to recommend you to take charge of this oversight agency. You must be impartial and incorruptible at all times and in all places. The selection of personnel must be extremely rigorous to prevent corruption."
"This department will be the sharpest knife for Qin to maintain clean governance!"
“Anyone found guilty of illegal activities shall be punished with the most severe penalties, and their entire clan shall be implicated. No one shall be shown any leniency.”
Upon hearing this, Feng Jie's face lit up with a look of great joy. His upright and incorruptible conduct perfectly aligned with this ideal.
However, being in the imperial court, he was burdened by countless powerful figures above him, and sometimes he felt helpless. Now, with his wicked husband as his backer, he dared to unleash his iron fist and integrity to the fullest extent.
Even if King Ying Zheng's future child commits a crime, he would dare to slap him a few times!
"Feng Jie, don't get too excited yet!" A cold glint flashed in the wicked man's eyes. "With such a heavy responsibility on your shoulders, the first thing you need to consider is whether you can handle it. This is not about your future, but about the lifeline of the entire country!"
Feng Jie took a deep breath, slowly rose like an old pine tree weathered by time, then bowed deeply to the ground and said loudly, "Feng Jie is already old and frail, with half of his body buried in the ground. He has no fear of offending anyone. If he can perfect this supervisory department in his lifetime, he can die with a smile on his face."
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com